


Intertwining Paths

by CaffeinatedJediRey



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Attempt at Humor, Camping, DysFUNctional families, Fluff and Angst, Funeral at beginning, Hiking, Modern AU, Multi, Plaidam Paramour, Snap is Boner, Soulmate marks, This is where I leave you AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2020-10-03 22:28:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20460524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaffeinatedJediRey/pseuds/CaffeinatedJediRey
Summary: Everyone has a soulmate.  Usually one, sometimes two.  The marks only appear for two days before disappearing, and they tell you where to meet your soulmate.Workaholic Ben Solo returns home for his father’s funeral; his visit upends his life, from new family to new love.Permanent/indefinite hiatus





	1. Returns

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Trish47](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trish47/gifts).

> Written for Trish based on a prompt involving soulmates. Beta’ed by Heathyr (MyJediLife). 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this, Trish!

** _Chapter One_ **

** **

Ben Solo ran his hand through his hair in frustration as he attempted to find the right words to end the report for his boss, Snoke. The noise from the numerous conversations inside the house and wafting out through the open windows didn’t help his concentration, either. He glanced at the time on the corner of his laptop screen. Thirty minutes until the deadline. 

He could get this done. He managed to sneak out two hours earlier and settle down at the picnic table to get work done. No one had caught him yet. He took another cigarette from his half empty pack and lit it up, taking a drag from it as he attempted to focus on wrapping up the project. 

Even then, Ben’s mind wandered off to the events of the past week. His father had passed away only three months after finding out he had late-stage pancreatic cancer. Han seemed to be holding up well physically the last time Ben saw him, about two weeks ago, so the decline was shocking to him and everyone else. According to the doctors, the official cause of death was a heart attack... 

**********

_ Three Days Earlier: _

_ _

As Luke took his place by Han’s graveside and stood near Leia, he noticed a conspicuous absence among the group of family and friends gathered for the funeral service. He whispered to his sister, “The service is about to start. Where’s Ben? Is he coming at all?” 

“He texted me an hour ago, but I have no idea where he is now,” Leia shrugged. She was about to continue speaking when the rabbi, Snap Wexley, greeted the group and began an opening prayer. 

The prayer was interrupted by the sound of a car speeding up and coming to a stop on the street nearby the burial gathering. Everyone turned their heads towards the black BMW parked haphazardly on the edge of the grass. A tall man with thick black hair and a goatee stepped out of the car and quickly strode over to the gathering. 

_ _

Ben walked towards his family, stretched out his arms wide, and announced his presence, “Mommy.” 

Leia sighed, her face a mixture of amusement and exasperation, and greeted her son with a hug. “You made it just in time. Rabbi Wexley’s started. We can catch up after the service.” 

Ben nodded to his mother before he greeted the rest of his relatives. He also noted that Luke’s oldest daughter, Jannah, brought along her husband, Armie Hux, along with their two kids. Lucky Armie, he was on paternity leave with the latest kid and didn’t have to deal with Snoke’s latest antics at their firm. 

Ben took his place next to his sister, Kaydel, and his younger cousin, Finn Skywalker. Ben soon recognized the rabbi, causing him to comment to Finn loudly, “Boner’s a rabbi now? Never would have guessed.”

Finn attempted to stifle a laugh as a clearly offended Snap retorted, “Hey Ben, it’s Snap now. I haven’t been called Boner in over a decade. Now, can you let me finish up these prayers, please?” 

Ben rolled his eyes and replied, “Yes, please do continue, Rabbi Boner.” He was met with a sharp jab in the ribs by Kaydel, which caused him to wince in pain and shut up for the remainder of the service. 

Three hours after the service, Ben finally managed to break himself away from the attention of all the visiting family and friends at the Organa-Solo household. Snoke kept texting him all afternoon, and he really needed to get back to work. He went up to his old room, pulled out his laptop, and set to work at his old desk, which was now too small for his large frame. 

No sooner than he had pulled up his spreadsheet, a slender hand with black nail polish rapped on his desk, which was right next to his door. Ben knew he should have closed and locked the door.

“Ben? Your mother’s looking for you,” Amilyn, his mother’s best friend, commented before asking, “Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah, all fine. I’ll come down once I finish this,” Ben remarked. 

Amilyn raised her eyebrows skeptically at him before replying, “Okay, I’ll let her know.” 

“Thanks,” He replied, having refocused his attention to the computer. 

Not more than a few minutes later, a smaller hand adorned with a large golden ring and two blue stones suddenly slammed Ben’s computer shut, jolting him out of his concentration. 

“Benjamin Organa-Solo, can’t you stay away from work for once and just be with your family?!” Leia exclaimed angrily, staring at her son unflinchingly. 

Ben returned the stare, just as unflinching, as he insisted, “I’ve really got to get this negotiation written up for the company. We’ve been working on this for ages, and Snoke told me I’d be replaced if I didn’t get this to him in the next two days.” 

“Well, Snoke can make an allowance for your father’s funeral and shiva,” Leia replied as she removed the computer from Ben’s desk and headed towards her room. Ben immediately got up from his chair and followed his mother until she closed the door behind her and locked it. 

He pounded on the door, “Mom! This is ridiculous. I’m not ten. I want my laptop back!” 

“I didn’t hear please,” Leia quipped as she exited her bedroom, sans computer. “You’ll get it back at the end of the week, Ben. Your boss will understand, and if he doesn’t, you don’t need to be working for him anyway.” 

As he followed his mother down the stairs, he asked, “Did I hear you correctly about shiva, Mom? I only planned on staying a couple of nights.” 

Leia waited until they reached the living room, where most of the family was gathered, before answering Ben. “Yes, you heard me right. Everyone else here knows, and if you had bothered to call me, your sister, or your cousins back last night, you would know about this too. We are sitting shiva this week. Your father requested this, and we are going to honor his wishes.” 

Ben complained as he took a free seat next to Jannah, “That doesn’t make any sense. Dad wasn’t practicing. He was an agnostic, and opinionated about it, too.” 

“He’s right, Mom. We’re sitting where he put the Christmas tree every year,” Kaydel added with a nod. 

“This is what your father wanted, and we are going to do this together as a family for the next seven days. That means no working, too, Ben. End of discussion,” Leia firmly replied. 

**********

_ Present: _

_ _

Tapping his cigarette against the soup bowl he was using as an ashtray, Ben refocused his attention on the final paragraph of his report. What to say next? What to add? 

He looked up quickly to make sure no one had noticed him outside. When he snuck upstairs earlier, he managed to find the laptop hidden behind his father’s box of “goodies.” His parents were always so predictable, as if he and his sister didn’t know about his father hiding the weed in that particular place. After all, that became the place where his parents would hide the objects they confiscated from them whenever they got into trouble.

_ _

He sighed in relief once he confirmed that he was still alone outside. It was nice to finally have some space to think and work while the house was full of far too many people that never gave him a moment of silence, including family friends that stopped by to visit every day. “Aunt” Amilyn was tolerable, although he found her adopted son, Poe, as obnoxious as always. His “uncle” Chewbacca and “aunt” Mallie kept pestering him about whether he’d ever be interested in moving back home to help manage his father’s automobile company. 

Ben’s thoughts drifted off again as he reflected on his conversations with his family’s friends. 

***********

_ Two Days Earlier: _

_ _

Ben looked around the room, half listening to his Uncles Chewie and Lando talking with each other. Armie was in the group, too, holding his four month old daughter, Sloane, while Jannah was in the other room putting down their toddler for a nap. 

Ben finally spoke up when Chewie began talking about the automobile company, which specialized in repairing and restoring cars of all makes and years. “Who’s in charge of the company while you’re here?”

Chewie responded in his thick accent, “Ah, Rey’s managing the operations. Since she’s been with us for a year, she’s more than capable of running the shop. You’ve met her, haven’t you?” 

When Ben shook his head, Chewie continued speaking, “She was at the funeral yesterday, but she wasn’t able to stay for the reception since one of our clients had a roadside emergency. You should meet her while you’re here in town. She’s a sweetheart. I think you two would get along.” 

Before Ben could answer, Lando seized the opportunity to chime in, “Trying to set up the girl with our nephew here, Chewbacca? We should ask Ben here if he’s found his soulmate yet, or if he’s still playing the field!” Lando gave Ben a wink during the last remark, making him frown slightly in response. 

_ _

Thankfully, Sloane began crying in Armie’s arms, causing him to excuse himself, “I don’t think she’s had a bottle in a few hours. I’ll be right back.” 

“All right, nice chatting with you!” Lando called out before redirecting his attention to Ben. “How did he and Jannah meet up again?”

Ben sighed in relief at the change of topic and explained, “Jannah showed up randomly at my office one January morning, after she sent me a text. When I went to meet her, I saw her looking at all the office doors. She told me that she had the mark on her upper arm with coordinates and an office number. As it turned out, it was Armie’s office, and they also had matching horse symbols above their coordinates on their arms.”

“They’re such an odd couple,” Chewie remarked, just as the doorbell rang. 

Ben immediately went to open the door, revealing another old family friend, Enfys Nest. They greeted each other with hugs, and it didn’t take long for the attention to shift to the new visitor as soon as she stepped into the house. 

*******

The sound of multiple people talking drew Ben out of his train of thoughts, and he quickly put out his cigarette as he attempted to pinpoint the source of the voices. By the time he figured out that the voices belonged to Finn and Kay, they had turned around the corner of the shed and caught him at the table with a fine porcelain bowl full of spent cigarettes next to a visibly open laptop. 

Kaydel crossed her arms in exasperation, “Ben, seriously?” 

Ben replied defensively, “I need to get this done in the next... fifteen minutes, otherwise, I’m fired. I keep telling you that!”

“You’re going to end up dying the same way as Uncle Han with a heart attack if you don’t quit overworking and smoking the way you do,” Finn interjected.

“And you’re already just like Uncle Luke by being a self-righteous prick, Finn,” Ben snapped back. 

Finn wasted no time in walking over to the table and grabbing the computer, “I’m going to put this somewhere where you can’t find it for the rest of the shiva. Now come back inside, please.” 

“Give me my fucking computer back,” Ben growled as he jumped up from his seat and lunged for the laptop. 

When Finn refused, Ben forcibly grabbed his cousin’s arm and attempted to wrestle away the laptop. That only prompted Finn to continue clinging on to the laptop, and eventually, the computer slipped from Finn’s hand. Ben’s efforts at pulling away the laptop only caused Ben’s arm to jerk backwards and the device flew out of his hand and hit the tree behind him. 

“Look what you did, asshole!” Ben shouted at Finn after noticing his shattered laptop now scattered on the ground. 

“Hey! I’ll replace it—,” Finn replied, with a sincerely apologetic look on his face. 

Refusing to let Finn finish, Ben continued yelling, “No, you won’t! You never gave me back that sword that Grandpa Ani left to me. It belongs to me and you know it!” 

“Are you still going on about the damn sword? You know Aunt Leia gave it to me for safekeeping after you threatened Dad in college,” Finn retorted. “Come get it yourself, if it means that much to you!” 

“Your dad’s a fucking liar!” Ben snarled as he jumped forward to throw a punch towards Finn’s face. Finn moved his face away in time, but he flinched in pain as Ben’s fist hit his shoulder. In return, Finn punched right back, and the two men escalated their punching and wrestling. 

In the middle of all this, Hux and Jannah had heard the shouting going on outside from the kitchen’s open windows, and they rushed outside to see what was causing the fuss. Kaydel had already run inside to grab her mother and uncle, as well as anyone else that could help break up the fight. 

“Break it up, you two!” Hux commanded as he ran up to the fighting cousins and attempted to pull them apart, only to be met with Finn’s fist accidentally hitting him instead of Ben. Hux shoved away Finn and attempted to pin down Ben, which only further drew him into the fighting. 

Within minutes, the backyard was filling up with people, family and friends alike, that overheard the commotion and came outside to observe the scene unfolding in front of them. 

Leia soon broke through the small crowd, “That’s enough! Stop fighting right now!” When the men failed to pay any attention to Leia, Chewie and Luke began walking over to the group, only for Luke to be met with a string of insults from Ben. 

Kaydel began commenting on her brother’s tirade, “Did I just hear him say something about Uncle Luke trying to run over him after Ben mentioned interning for Snoke?” 

With a sigh, Jannah handed over Sloane to Kaydel, getting ready to join the older men in attempting to diffuse the fight. “Finn and Armie will listen to me, I’ll help handle this.”

But Leia shook her head and held her niece back, “No, I have a better idea. Amilyn?” 

The purple-haired woman turned to her friend with a quizzical look, “What is it, Leia?” 

“It’s time,” the petite woman replied, gingerly grasping her friend’s hands into her own. Leia looked into Amilyn’s blue eyes and raised her fingers to stroke the taller woman’s cheek. Amilyn picked up the hint, and smiled softly at Leia with a gentle nod. Leia soon brought up both hands to wrap around Amilyn’s back, with the other woman pulling her partner in more closely and leaning in to kiss her gently on the lips. 

As the two women continued kissing, in full view of all those present in the backyard, Ben suddenly stopped screaming and punching as soon as he noticed his mother kissing her best friend in front of everyone. His actions prompted Finn and Hux to stop as well, and direct their attention to what caught Ben’s attention. 

His face full of surprise, he called out in a confused voice, “Mom?” 


	2. Bye

On indefinite hiatus

**Author's Note:**

> Rey and Rose show up in the next chapter, I promise! Thoughts, feedback, opinions? Hope you all enjoy this!


End file.
